THE LIFE

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PHILOPMEN.

SUMMARY.

His birth and education: personal appearance: character and pursuits. His first campaigns, and other employments. His taste for study. He goes to the assistance of Megalopolis. His first exploit. He is wounded by a javelin: his fortitude upon the occasion. He serves in Crete, and upon Iris return is elected general of the horse. He kills the general of the ene mies' cavalry, Sketch of the Achæan league. Changes introduced by Philopamen in the arming and manoeuvring of the troops. He directs the prevalent passion for luxury to military equipage: gains a victory over Machanidas, tyrant of Lacedæmon; and kills him with his own hand. Honor paid to him at the Achæan games. High opinion entertained of him by stran gers. He recovers Messene from the tyrant Nabis: at the earnest entreaty of the Gortynians, passes into Crete; and by that measure offends the Megalopolitans, who however are prevented by the Achæans from declaring him an outlaw. He is worsted at sea by Nabis; but defeats him twice on land, in return, within a very few days. He draws Lacedæmon into the Achæan league: refuses the magnificent presents sent him by that state: defends Sparta against Flaminius and Diophanes; but subsequently treats it with great severity. He opposes the ascendency, which the Romans affect over the Achæans: he goes to attack Dinocrates; is taken captive, and thrown into prison. Grief of the Achæans on receiving this intelligence,

and plans to effect his release. He is poisoned by Dinocrates. His death avenged by the Achæans. His interment: honors decreed to his memory.

AT Mantinea there was a man of great quality and power named Cassander, who, being obliged by a reverse of fortune to quit his own country, went and settled at Megalopolis. He was induced to fix there, chiefly by the friendship which subsisted between him and Crausis the father of Philopomen, who was in all respects an extraordinary character. While his friend lived, he had all that he could wish; and, being desirous after his death to make some return for his hospitality, he educated his orphan son, in the same manner as Homer says Achilles was educated by Phoenix, and formed him from his infancy to generous sentiments and royal vir

tues.

But, when he was past the years of childhood, Ecdemus and Demophanes3 had him principally under their care. They were both Megalopolitans; who having learned the academic philosophy of Arcesilaus applied it, above all the men of their time, to action and affairs of state. They delivered their country from tyranny, by providing persons privately to take off Aristodemus; assisted Aratus in driving out Nicocles, the tyrant of Sicyon: and at the request of the people of Cyrene, whose government was in great disorder, sailed thither,

1 Pausanias (viii. 49.) and Strabo call him 'Cleander;' and some MSS. of Plutarch agree with them. So it is, likewise, in the translation of Guarini. (L.) Mantinea and Megalopolis were cities in Arcadia. Philopomen was contemporary with T. Q. Flaminius, with whom he is here compared, and gave lessons to Polybius, in the art of government.*

2 He is called Craugis in Pausanias, in the inscription of a statue of Philopamen at Tegææ, and in an ancient collection of Epigrams.

3 In Pausanias their names are Ecdelus and Megalophanes. 4 Arcesilaus was founder of the Middle Academy, and made some alterations in the doctrine which had previously prevailed. 5 See his Life, in the sequel of this work.*

6 This, it appears from history, was frequently the case. Plato had refused to be their legislator, on account of their excessive prosperity. See below, in the Life of Lucullus.*

settled it on the foundation of good laws, and thoroughly regulated the commonwealth. But, among all their me morable actions, they valued themselves most upon the education of Philopomen; as having rendered him, by the principles of philosophy, a common benefit to Greece. And indeed, as he came the last of so many excellent generals, Greece loved him extremely like the child of her old age, and with his growing reputation enlarged his power. For which reason, a certain Roman calls him The last of the Greeks;' meaning, that Greece had not produced one illustrious man, or one that was worthy of her, after him.

His visage was not very homely, as some imagine it to have been; for we see his statue still remaining at Delphi. As for the mistake of his hostess at Megara, it is said to have arisen from his easiness of behaviour and the simplicity of his garb. She, having intelligence that the general of the Achæans was coming to her house, was in great care and hurry to provide his supper, her husband happening to be out of the way. In the mean time, Philopomen arrived; and, as his habit was ordinary, she took him for one of his own servants or a courier, and desired him to assist her in the business of the kitchen. He presently threw off his cloak, and began to cleave some wood; when the master of the house returning, and seeing him so employed, said, "What is the meaning of this, Philopamen?" to which he replied, in broad Doric, "I am paying the fine of my deformity." Titus Flaminius, rallying him one day upon his make, said, "What fine hands and legs you have! but then you have no belly:" and he was, indeed,

7 Pausanius assures us, that his visage was homely (which is the obvious inference, indeed, of the Megarensian anecdote), but at the same time declares, that in point of size and strength no man in Peloponnesus exceeded him. (viii. 49.)

8 The word Axao, in its most general sense, was taken for the whole population of Greece between Macedon and the isthmus of Corinth. See Homer, &c.: here, however, as well as in the Lives of Pelopidas and Aratus, it is more specifically applied to the inhabitants of that part of Peloponnesus (formerly called Agialos) bordering on the Corinthian gulf, between Patre and Sicyon, and of which the capital was Corinth. These were they, from whom the celebrated League took its name.*

very slender in the waist. This raillery, however, might rather be referred to the condition of his fortune: for he had good soldiers, both horse and foot, but very often wanted money to pay them. These stories are subjects of disputation in the schools.

As to his manners, we find that his pursuits of honor were too much attended with roughness and passion. Epaminondas was the person, whom he proposed for his pattern; and he succeeded in imitating his activity, his shrewdness, and his contempt of riches; but his choleric contentious humor prevented his attaining the mildness, gravity, and candor of that eminent man in political disputes; so that he seemed rather fit for war, than for the civil administration. From a child, indeed, he was fond of every thing in the military way, and readily entered into the exercises which tended to that purpose, those of riding (for instance) and handling of arms. As he seemed well formed likewise for wrestling, his friends and governors advised him to improve himself in that art; which gave him occasion to ask, "Whether that species of exercise would be injurious to his proficiency as a soldier?" They told him the truth; that the habit of body and manner of life, the diet and exercise, of a soldier and a wrestler were radically different: that the wrestler must have much sleep and full meals, with stated times of exercise and rest, every little departure from his rules being extremely prejudicial; whereas the soldier should be prepared for the most irregular changes of living, and should chiefly endeavour to bring himself to bear the want of food and sleep without difficulty. Philopoemen, hearing this, not only avoided and derided the exercise of wrestling himself; but subsequently, when he came to be general, to the utmost of his power exploded the whole art by every mark of disgrace and expression of contempt; satisfied that it rendered persons, who were the most fit for war, quite unable to fight on necessary oc

casions.

9 Where every subject, political, historical, and moral, was discussed. Plutarch's Morals' indeed, as they are called, are only a collection of his disquisitions, delivered to general or select audiences in Greece or at Rome.*

When his governors and preceptors had quitted their charge, he engaged in those private incursions into Laconia, which the city of Megalopolis made for the sake of booty; and in these he was sure to be the first to march out, and the last to return.

His leisure he spent either in the chase, which increased both his strength and activity, or in the tillage of the field; for he had a handsome estate twenty furlongs from the city, to which he went every day after dinner, or after supper: and at night he threw himself upon an ordinary mattress, and slept as one of the laborers. Early in the morning he rose, and went to work along with his vine-dressers or ploughmen; after which he returned to the town, and employed his time about the public affairs with his friends and with the magistrates. What he gained in the wars, he laid out upon horses or arms, or in the redeeming of captives: but he endeavoured to improve his own estate the justest way in the world, I mean by agriculture 10. Neither did he apply himself to it in a cursory manner, but in the full conviction, that the surest way not to touch what belongs to others is to take care of one's own11.

He spent some time in hearing the discourses, and studying the writings, of philosophers; but selected such, as he thought might assist his progress in virtue. Among the poetical images in Homer, he attended to those which seemed to excite and encourage valor: and, as to other authors, he was most conversant in the Tactics of Evangelus12, and in the Histories of Alex

10 Columella says, 'agriculture is next akin to philosophy.' It does, indeed, afford a person who is capable of speculation an opportunity of meditating upon nature; and such meditations enlarge the mind. (L.) He afterward mentions it, as the only method of improving one's fortune noble in itself, and fit for a gentleman to pursue.' And it has, fortunately for England, so appeared of late (1806) to some of her most illustrious characters.*

11 See a similar idea, and the sentiment will bear repetition, in the Parallel of Aristides and Cato, p. 230.*

12 This author is mentioned by Arrian, who himself wrote a Discourse upon Tactics. He observes that the treatise of Evangelus, like those of many others on that subject (Polybius, Eupolemus, Iphicrates, Posidonius, &c.) were become of little use in his time, because they had omitted several things as sufficiently